Never Be The Same
by alive and crazy
Summary: After Lucy poisoned herself, Nellie Lovett cared for her and Johanna. When Benjamin Barker, now Sweeney Todd, returns, he finds that nothing is the same.
1. Chapter 1

"Lucy!" Nellie Lovett called to the blonde woman who was dancing wildly around her parlor. "Come help me make the pies." Lucy immediately stopped dancing, a wild smile on her face. She had always loved helping Nellie make the pies.

"Yes, the pies!" She danced her way into the shop. "Help Nellie make the pies!" Nellie sighed and quickly followed Lucy. She was used to Lucy's dancing and mindless comments. After all, she had been caring for her for fifteen years now. It hadn't been easy at first, but she had slowly gotten used to it.

Nellie quickly snapped back to attention when Lucy started throwing flour into the air, laughing.

"Flour for the pies! Flour for the pies!" She sang over and over. Nellie couldn't help but smile. Yes, Lucy could be annoying sometimes, but she was also very entertaining.

"Yes, Lucy, the flour is for the pies, not for throwing." She gently scolded.

"I know Nellie, I was only having fun." She threw one last handful into the air before sitting politely on a stool in front of the counter.

Nellie sighed again. "Now, dearie, I need you behind the counter with me of you're going to be helping."

"Oh, yes, I knew that" Lucy said, scurrying over to Nellie behind the counter.

Nellie often let Lucy help her with the pies. Thankfully for her, Lucy was capable enough of following directions and mimicking Nellie's actions, although she did get distracted every one in a while. Nellie was grateful for the extra help, and Lucy often kept the mood light by singing, which allowed them both to work faster.

They set to work, Lucy obediently listening to Nellie's directions and copying her actions. While they worked, Nellie let her mind wander, as it often did, occasionally turning her gaze to Lucy and giving more instructions.

She thought back to the first time she had let Lucy make the pies with her, a few months after she had taken the arsenic. By then, she was fairly familiar with the way Lucy acted, and figured that she could handle making pies, especially with Nellie beside her to watch her closely. Unfortunately, Lucy had managed to make a horrible mess of things, throwing everything around, diverting her attention to other things, and often leaving what she was doing altogether to wander around the shop absently, only to return a few minutes later and ask Nellie what she was doing. She had forgotten things often back then, and was rather useless. Over time, her memory had improved, and she didn't forget quite so much, which Nellie was thankful for. Yet in the fifteen years of making pies with Nellie, Lucy had not remembered how to make them on her own.

Nellie didn't mind so much; even if Lucy did remember how to make the pies, she still would not have left her alone to make them.

_Lord only knows what sort of trouble she would get herself into,_ Nellie mused, thinking back to Lucy throwing the flour. _Silly woman would make a right mess of things._

The jingling of the bell indicating that a customer had entered the shop brought Nellie back to the present. She looked up, ready to tell the customer that he had to wait if he wanted a fresh pie, but the sight of the man before her made her stop dead.

Her eyes went wide and she stifled a gasp. She knew those eyes. The man himself had changed almost beyond recognition, but as long as Nellie lived she could never forget those eyes.

--

_Hello everyone! This is my first fic, so please let me know what you think, and if I should continue. Constructive criticism welcome. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to all those who reviewed! I hope you like this next chapter.  
_

_Also, I just realized that I forgot to put a disclaimer in the last chapter, so here it is:_

**The characters in this story are not mine. **

* * *

She had been certain that she would never see him again. Yet here he was, and there was not a doubt in Nellie's mind that it was indeed him.

"Would you like a pie, sir?" She asked, acting as if she didn't know him. "We're nearly finished, shouldn't be too much longer."

He didn't answer. He was staring at something – someone really – beside Nellie. She looked over. Of course. He was looking at Lucy, who was concentrating hard trying to make the pie crust look perfect. So hard, in fact, that she had not even noticed that someone had entered the shop.

She finally finished the pie crust, lifted her head, turned to Nellie, and held out the finished pie proudly.

"Look Nellie!" She said, her voice filled with delight.

"It's lovely, dearie," Nellie replied somewhat uncomfortably. She was very aware of the man - Benjamin Barker his name was, Nellie could never forget – still watching Lucy. She couldn't understand why her stomach was filled with butterflies. Was it because she knew that Lucy wouldn't remember him, or afraid that she would? Nellie couldn't predict what would happen either way.

Lucy put down the pie, and only then did she notice the strange-looking man in the shop. She drew back in fear.

"Now, Lucy, there's nothing to be afraid of…" Nellie knew very well what was sure to come next, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Demon!" Lucy screamed. "Out with you! Out, demon!" She grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at him.

"Demon! Demon!" She was absolutely frantic, throwing the flour one handful after the other, screaming all the while.

"Lucy, stop it!" Nellie tried to calm the screaming woman, reaching out to take Lucy's arm and pull her away from the flour. Lucy shook her off, disregarding Nellie's attempts to calm her, and continued to scream.

"He's the devil! Out devil! Out demon!"

Nellie looked over at Barker, who hadn't moved the entire time. It broke Nellie's heart to see his eyes so full of hurt.

"Lucy…" He said softly, the pain in his voice evident.

"He knows my name!" Lucy recoiled in shock, turning to Nellie. "How does he know my name?! He's the devil, I tell you! I've never met him, and he knows my name! Devil!"

"Hush, Lucy, he knows your name 'cause he heard me say it, is all." Nellie took Lucy's shoulders gently and looked her in the eyes. "Now, why don't you go wait for me in the parlor, and if you're good, you can have a toffee."

"What about him?" Lucy whispered, almost completely calm now. It was incredible how quickly the woman could go from one mood to another.

"I'll take care of it, Lucy, you just go into the parlor and wait for me nice and quiet."

Lucy nodded and made her way to the parlor, hissing, "Demon!" when passing Barker before disappearing behind the curtain that separated it from the kitchen.

Nellie sighed. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Barker."

"What happened to her?" He asked quietly, his voice still full of pain.

Nellie noticed how he didn't even realize that she knew who he was, but she figured it wasn't important anyhow.

"Oh, it was terrible, the poor thing," she said. "You know that judge, well, he did a horrible thing to her, he did. And she just couldn't take it, poor thing, so she tried to poison herself. It's a good thing I found her when I did, managed to get the arsenic away from her before she swallowed the entire bottle."

It seemed so long ago, but Nellie remembered every detail of that night as if it had happened just the day before.

"What did he do?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"What, love?"

"The judge. What did he do to her?"

She told him. Although it pained her to see the look on his face, she told him exactly what Judge Turpin had done to Lucy.

"No one tried to help her?" He choked.

She shook her head sadly. "No, love."

He turned away from her and they stayed silent for a few moments until Nellie spoke again.

"They finally let you out of that prison then, Mr. Barker."

He turned towards her violently and she flinched, but listened as he told her that he had escaped, and that he was no longer Benjamin Barker, but Sweeney Todd.

"Right then, Mr. Todd," she said, rather liking his new name and noting that it fit his dark appearance more than the fairly innocent-sounding Benjamin Barker. "I'll just be going into the parlor to give Lucy that toffee, and I'll be right out."

"Wait."

His voice stopped her just before she disappeared behind the curtain.

"Yes, love?"

"What happened to my daughter?"

--

_Please tell me what you think! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Once again, thank you to all those who reviewed! I'm glad you are enjoying the story. _

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

"Ah, yes, Johanna." Nellie turned to Mr. Todd. "She's grown into a lovely young lady, she has."

"Then she's alright?"

"Of course, love, of course. Been taking care of her ever since Lucy took that poison, fifteen years to be exact, she just turned sixteen last month, but of course you knew that." Nellie was rambling and she knew it. She supposed it was because Mr. Todd made her so nervous. So changed he was, yet he still had the same effect on her as he had years ago, making her heart flutter.

"Where is she?" He asked.

Nellie began to fidget nervously. She knew she had to tell him, but didn't know exactly how. He seemed so unpredictable, and the uncertainty of what his reaction would be made Nellie extremely uneasy.

"Well, you see dear, a young lady like herself longs for adventure, but instead she's stuck here, making pies, helping with Lucy, it's really not surprising she does what she does, don't blame her really…"

Rambling again. Stalling this time. As unpredictable as Nellie saw him, she supposed he would be angry when she told him, angry with her, but it really wasn't Nellie's fault.

"The thing is, love, Johanna ain't here."

He stayed silent, so Nellie took a deep breath and continued.

"She's…out."

"Out where?" Mr. Todd finally spoke.

Nellie shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, well, you see, I don't know exactly _where_." She paused. "Sometimes she just _goes_, you see, and she don't come back for a while."

"You let her roam the streets alone?" He was angry, she could tell. Although she couldn't see the anger on his face, his voice betrayed his feelings.

"Oh, no, no, Mr. Todd, it's not that I _let_ her, it's just that she _leaves_. Without telling anyone. Can't do anything about it, really, it's not like I can chain her down or anything."

She hoped he wouldn't be too angry with her. She really couldn't do anything about Johanna leaving. Nellie didn't mind it so much anymore, and didn't worry like she had the first time it happened, but she knew Mr. Todd didn't feel the same way. Johanna was his daughter after all, and after being gone for so long, of course he would be worried about her.

"Besides, she always comes back." She tried to reassure him. "And isn't hurt, either. She's a smart girl, she is, knows what she's doing."

_Maybe it's better she's gone now,_ Nellie thought, reassuring herself this time. She could only imagine how angry Mr. Todd would be if Johanna had been there when he came back, only to disappear without warning sometime later. He would have blamed Nellie then for certain, and she wasn't sure that she could deal with a missing girl, a crazy woman, and an angry tenant all at the same time.

She had already decided that Mr. Todd would move in. The question of where he would sleep still went unanswered, though Nellie brushed it off; there was still time to figure that out. She supposed she would have to keep Lucy away from him as well, at least until she could teach her not have another screaming fit when he was near.

And of course, it meant another mouth to feed, but she wasn't worried about that either. Business was doing well enough, and if she could convince Mr. Todd to be a barber again, she supposed they would have enough money to get by. Luckily for Nellie, she knew just how to convince him.

Little did she know, she wouldn't have to do much convincing, for he had already decided that he would be a barber again, much like Nellie had decided that he would be moving in.

Finally, after a long silence, Nellie spoke.

"I suppose you'll be moving in with us then, Mr. Todd. Although I'm afraid I haven't quite worked out where you'll be sleeping."

"The room over the shop will do." He replied.

"Oh, no, not tonight, love, that place needs to be cleaned out, it does. We haven't been up there in years. I suppose you'll just have to stay down here with us, and tomorrow I'll get Lucy to help out with the cleaning."

With the sleeping arrangement issue out of the way, Nellie moved on to the second thing that had been on her mind.

"We could turn the room into a barbershop, just like it used to be, wouldn't that be lovely?" She paused. "After all, you'll need to be making a living too, it'll be four of us when Johanna returns, and I couldn't possibly keep us all up meself."

She hoped he wouldn't turn on her for being so bold, and was surprised when she agreed.

"I'll need razors." He simply said.

Nellie smiled. Ah, yes, razors. How happy he would be when he learned that she had kept his razors from fifteen years ago. She had hidden them shortly after Lucy took the arsenic, partly out of fear that she would try to hurt herself, and partly out of the hope that Mr. Todd – or Mr. Barker, back then, would be back someday and need them. He would be so grateful to her for keeping them, she was certain.

"I kept them, your razors. Good thing, eh?"

Finally, a spark of emotion other than pain or anger. He was pleased, she knew it.

"Where are they?" He asked, his eyes shining.

"I keep them in the parlor, safe and sound." She replied.

Nellie turned towards the parlor, beckoning for him to follow. He did, anticipation building inside him at the thought of holding his razors again.

--

_I hope you liked it, please let me know! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you for the reviews! _

_After this chapter, I don't really know where I'm going with this yet, so it might be a while before the next update. A few of you have asked if it's going to be a Todd/Lovett fic, and I'm not sure yet, since I don't really know where this is going, but there is a chance that it might end up going there. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! _

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

They were met with Lucy's screams almost immediately upon entering the parlor. Nellie couldn't believe how she could have possibly forgotten about her.

Lucy was up on her feet, backing away slowly and once again screaming, "Demon! Demon!" at Mr. Todd.

Nellie saw that Lucy was backing away towards the bookshelf, and knew she had to act fast before Lucy started throwing the books. The last thing Nellie needed was for someone to get hurt, or a window to get smashed.

She quickly made her way to one of the back shelves, and stood on her toes to get to the highest one, where she kept the box of toffees out of Lucy's reach. Having finally grabbed the box of sweets, she rushed toward Lucy, hoping that she would be able to distract her with the toffees.

"Lucy…look what I have for you." She held the box out towards Lucy, who stopped, her hand only inches from picking up a book.

A huge smile spread across her face when she recognized the box of toffees.

"For me?" She said hopefully. "All of them?"

Completely forgetting about her earlier screaming fit, or the fact that Mr. Todd was in the room, she ran eagerly to Nellie, her face full of joy at the thought of having all the toffees to herself.

"They're yours if you only promise to go to your room and stay quiet." Nellie told her.

"Oh, yes, Nellie, I promise!"

Lucy would say anything just to get even one toffee, Nellie knew. Still, she also knew that Lucy would obey and stay in her room, and she wouldn't even notice that the box only had a few more toffees left in it.

"Go on, then, I'll bring you the toffees." Nellie knew not to give the box to Lucy first, because she would just sit on the sofa and eat them right there instead of going to her room.

"Toffees, toffees, toffees, all mine, all mine!" Lucy sang as she skipped happily to her room.

Nellie followed Lucy, and gave her the toffees when she was in her room and sitting obediently on her bed.

As soon as the box was in her hands, Lucy tore it open and devoured the first toffee.

"Thank you Nellie!" She said, her mouth full of the sweet.

"You enjoy your toffees, love." Nellie smiled at Lucy before closing the door and returning to the parlor to Mr. Todd.

He had stayed quiet the entire time, much like before, but now that she was back, he spoke.

"She fears me."

"Oh, love, she'll come around. She's just not used to you yet, is all." Nellie didn't know if that was in fact true, but she felt she had to say something reassuring.

"Now, let's get them razors, hmm?"

She made her way over to the bookshelf and removed a few books from the left side of the top shelf, setting them down on the floor beside her.

"I keep them back here so she won't get to them." She explained, while reaching behind the books still on the shelf. She fumbled around for a while before pulling out a dark box.

"Ah, here we are."

She felt him behind her and her breathing quickened. She liked to think that he was there because he was drawn to her, but deep down she knew it wasn't her that he was he was interested in.

Nellie quickly dusted the box off and turned to him. Her heart fluttered when she noticed how close he really was. She held the box out and he took it from her hands carefully.

She watched him, mesmerized, as he slowly opened the box and admired the razors. A small smile played on her lips as he took each razor out gently. She kept watching as he caressed the razors, opened them, then closed them again, whispering things she couldn't quite make out.

Her heart beat even faster, all the feelings she had for him from so long ago stronger than ever.

"I suppose I'll be leaving you, then" She said softly, not really wanting to leave. He gave no sign that he heard her, gave no indication that he noticed her hand brush his shoulder as she walked past him to go through the curtain.

Once in the kitchen, Nellie decided to sneak one last glance at him before cleaning up the flour that was everywhere.

She ended up staying like that, holding the curtain back while leaning against the door frame, watching him in her own trance.

--

_Personally, I really like this chapter. I hope you liked it too! _

_Please review and let me know what you think! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm so sorry for the long wait! _

_I couldn't think of what to write next, and when I finally did and got about halfway through, my hamster got sick. I couldn't concentrate much on writing, I was really worried about him because it's a disease that is very hard to come out of and not many hamsters survive. Anyway, Corky (my hamster) is doing a lot better now (he's almost completely cured!), and I could finally concentrate on finishing this chapter. _

_Once again, a big thank you to all those who reviewed, and also to those who favorited/alerted. Glad to see you are liking the story!_

_This is a bit of a filler chapter, but I hope you like it anyway! :)_

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

It was late in the evening when Nellie breezed back into the parlor after having cleaned up the kitchen and made a quick supper for Lucy and Mr. Todd. She realized she had wasted a lot of time just staring at him earlier, but she really couldn't help it, he was so beautiful.

Setting down the plate and cup she had been holding on a small table, she turned to Mr. Todd, who was still fascinated with his razors.

"I made some toast and tea for you, love."

No reaction.

"I left yours in the kitchen though, Lucy needs to eat her supper too, and we can't have you in the same room with her." She continued.

Still no reaction.

She sighed. _What's so fascinating about those razors anyway?_ She wondered.

She walked over to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Todd?"

He finally seemed to snap out of his interest with the razors.

"What is it?"

"Your supper's in the kitchen."

"I'm not hungry." He said simply.

"Well even if you ain't going to eat it, I'll still need you to go to the kitchen, Lucy's got to eat hers and she'll have a fit if she sees you."

He stayed silent for a moment, then nodded and headed to the kitchen, carrying the box of razors with him.

Nellie shook her head. She wished he wouldn't be so difficult. It was hard enough looking after Lucy, and it took up so much of her time already, that she really didn't know how she was going to manage to handle both of them.

She thought back to when Johanna was still a baby. It had been almost too much for Nellie, taking care of both Lucy and Johanna. They both needed constant attention, needed to be fed and bathed, and on top of it all, pies still had to be made and customers needed to be served.

Nellie figured that if she managed to handle it then, she could handle it now. After all, Mr. Todd was a grown man, and he could care for himself. When the room above the shop was cleaned up and made into a barbershop, he would have something to do, and surely he would get hungry sometime, so getting him to eat shouldn't be a problem. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.

The most difficult thing, Nellie guessed, would be to keep Lucy away from Mr. Todd, at least until she got used to having him around. Nellie didn't know how she would make that work, however. Lucy would have to be around him often if she was to get used to him, but so far, she had had a fit each time he was near. Nellie supposed she could keep them apart for the first few weeks, and the slowly let them spend more time in the same room until Lucy didn't scream anymore.

On the other hand, would it be quite so bad if Lucy never warmed up to him? Perhaps if he saw that Lucy would never tolerate him, he would move on. Perhaps he would move on with Nellie. She liked the idea of this, and decided that she would leave things be and see where they go.

Finally coming back to reality, Nellie headed to Lucy's room. Lucy had been awfully quiet, and Nellie assumed she must have fallen asleep, as she sometimes did when she got bored.

After quietly opening the door, Nellie saw that her assumptions were correct; Lucy was fast asleep, clutching the now empty box of toffees to her chest.

Nellie almost hated to wake her, but knew she had to, or else Lucy would wake up late at night, very cranky from hunger.

She gently shook Lucy, who stirred before slowly opening her eyes.

"Sleep well, love?" Nellie asked her. Lucy nodded and sat up.

"I ate all the toffees." She said, yawning.

"Well, I hope you still have room for supper."

"Yes, Nellie." Lucy said sleepily, yawning again.

"You can go right back to sleep as soon as you eat and have your bath."

Lucy brightened, and suddenly didn't look so sleepy anymore. She loved taking a bath.

"Yes, a bath." She repeated.

"Come along then, dearie."

Nellie left the room with Lucy following. Lucy sat on the sofa, and Nellie pushed the small table with the tea and toast in front of her. Lucy immediately grabbed the toast and bit into it.

"I love toast!" She said to nobody in particular.

She finished the toast quickly and licked the extra butter off her fingers before reaching for the tea and drinking it down. Lucy set the cup down on the table and jumped to her feet, nearly knocking the entire table over.

She didn't seem to notice. Facing Nellie, she exclaimed happily, "Time for my bath now!"

Nellie chuckled. Yes, Lucy certainly did love her bath. Nellie was thankful for it; she could only imagine how hard it would be getting Lucy to take a bath if she didn't like it, especially in her state.

"Alright then, Lucy." Nellie said. "To the bathroom with you."

She watched as Lucy skipped to the bathroom. She then made her way over to the linen closet to get fresh towels. Nellie gathered nearly all of them, knowing how Lucy liked to splash the water everywhere.

Balancing the towels in one arm, Nellie fetched Lucy's nightdress and robe from her room, then made her way to the bathroom where Lucy was waiting.

--

_Please let me know what you think. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Once again, I apologize for the long wait! _

_This chapter is a bit longer than the others, so I hope you like it. _

_Once again, thank you to all those you reviewed/alerted/favorited! It really means a lot that you are enjoying the story._

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

for Nellie, Lucy didn't splash so much in the tub, so there was not much water to mop up afterwards. Lucy stood watching Nellie mop up the last of the water, humming softly to herself, tying knots in the belt of her bathrobe absently.

Nellie stood, having wiped up all the water, and saw the huge knot on Lucy's belt.

"Oh, Lucy! Look what you've done to your belt!" She exclaimed. Lucy had been fond of tying knots in the past, but had not been practicing the habit recently. Nellie had been thankful for that; sometimes it had taken her hours to untie all the knots Lucy made.

"I'm sorry Nellie." Lucy said sincerely. "Are you angry?"

Nellie sighed. "No, Lucy, I'm not angry. Come here, let's get that knot out."

Lucy scampered over, and Nellie set to work untying the knot. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as it looked, and Nellie managed to straighten it out quickly.

"There." Nellie said as she straightened up. She sighed. "Right, then, to the parlor."

She gathered up all the wet towels, and left the bathroom with Lucy following closely.

"Are you going to brush my hair now, Nellie?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, dearie, you go sit on the sofa and I'll get your hairbrush."

Nellie quickly dropped the wet towels in the hamper by the bathroom door and went to get Lucy's brush from her bedroom. Of course, it wasn't by the vanity where it should have been, but Nellie knew all the other places it often was, and found it rather quickly. Making her way back to the parlor, she noticed that Lucy was heading towards the kitchen.

At first, Nellie thought nothing of it, but then she remember who was in the kitchen and Lucy's previous reaction to him. She called for Lucy to come back.

"But Nellie, I'm thirsty!" Lucy whined.

"I'll get you something to drink, love, you stay here." Nellie told her.

"But I want to get it myself!" She was being very stubborn.

"You can get it tomorrow, Lucy, I'll get it for you now."

Lucy pouted, but sat down on the sofa. "I don't see why I can't get it myself today." She grumbled, and continued to mumble under her breath.

Nellie shook her head and went to the kitchen to fetch something to drink for Lucy.

She found Mr. Todd sitting at a table, still fiddling with his razors.

"Are you alright, love?" She asked him as she retrieved a cup from a shelf.

He ignored her question, but instead asked one of his own.

"How is she?"

"Lucy? Oh, she's in there pouting because I wouldn't let her get something to drink by herself. I would've let her, see, only you're here now, and she'd have a fit if she saw you. And we can't have that before her bedtime." She talked while pouring some milk into the cup. "But not to worry, it'll pass, she don't stay in these moods for long."

Having finished pouring the milk, Nellie put it away and turned back towards the parlor.

"She'll be in bed in no time, Mr. Todd, then you can go back to the parlor." She yawned. "And we can discuss your sleeping arrangement for tonight."

Nellie gave him a small smile, which she doubted he noticed anyway, and disappeared behind the curtain into the parlor.

Lucy was thankfully sitting on the sofa, still mumbling under her breath.

"Here you are, love." Nellie set the cup of milk in front of her.

"Oh! Thank you, Nellie!" Lucy said cheerily, her grumpy mood forgotten. She began to sip the milk, much more slowly than she had drank her tea.

While Lucy drank, Nellie stood behind her and brushed her hair. She had always been a little jealous of Lucy's beautiful yellow hair, so soft and silky, unlike her own nest of untameable dark curls. She had envied her in the past, wishing that she could have beautiful hair like Lucy. It was easy to brush through, despite being so long. This was another thing Nellie was grateful for. It would have been horrible having to brush Lucy's hair if it had been as tangled and unruly as Nellie's not to mention how much Lucy would be squirming while getting her hair brushed, making it all the more difficult.

Nellie remembered when she was a child, how she had dreaded getting her hair brushed, how much it hurt to get all the tangles out, and how much it had caused her to fidget. Even now, she only ran the hairbrush through her hair a few times, not really trying to brush it properly. She never had much time to focus on her hair anyway, so she reasoned that it wasn't much of a sacrifice.

She finished brushing Lucy's hair and fixed it into a braid, as she always did in the evening before Lucy went to bed.

"There, you are, dear, all finished. Time for bed."

Lucy nodded, and finished off the last few sips of her milk. She was tired, Nellie could tell. She took the empty cup from Lucy.

"Come, love, I'll tuck you in."

"Yes, Nellie." Lucy replied sleepily.

Nellie led Lucy to her bedroom, where Lucy flopped down on her bed, clearly very exhausted. Nellie pulled the covers around her – like she would do to a child, she noticed – and smiled at how peaceful Lucy looked, her eyes closed, quickly drifting into sleep. It was a nice change from the usually energetic and loud Lucy who took so much of Nellie's energy during the day. It was usually in the night-time, just as Lucy was falling asleep, that Nellie felt the most affection towards her, something she never thought she would be feeling for Lucy fifteen years ago. But a lot had changed since then, and nothing was the way it used to be, so it wasn't surprising at all that Nellie was feeling the way she was.

She lit a candle, knowing that Lucy didn't like the dark and not wanting her to be frightened if she should wake up in the middle of the night, and smiled down at Lucy once more.

"Goodnight, love." Nellie whispered before turning to leave the room. She took one more look at Lucy – which caused a smile to form on her lips again – before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

_She__'s not so bad, really._ Nellie thought. It was the same thought she had every night after putting Lucy to bed.

She always realized that she rather liked caring for Lucy, even if she was difficult at times.

--

_Please let me know what you think. :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter is rather short, but there's a new one coming very soon. _

_I've realized that it has been 7 chapters and not even 24 hours have passed; the next chapter will (finally) take place the next day, and it should be up soon, as I said before. :)  
_

_Thanks to those who reviewed/alerted/favorited!_

_I hope you like this chapter!_

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

Now that Lucy was asleep, it was time to think about Mr. Todd's sleeping arrangements. The most logical solution to Nellie was to let him sleep on the sofa in the parlor, but she didn't feel quite right about making him sleep there. She supposed he could take her bedroom, and she could sleep on the sofa.

_Or, _She thought mischievously, _We could both share my bedroom. _She knew that wouldn't be happening, but couldn't help thinking about it anyway. She smiled to herself, thinking of Mr. Todd sharing her bedroom.

Nellie shook her head, trying to force the thoughts to go away. It was too soon for anything, and even though she couldn't help but fantasize, she knew that her fantasies would quickly cause her to get her hopes up. And Nellie also knew that getting her hopes up made it all the more easy to get her heart broken.

"That'll be enough of that." She said to herself, pushing the last of the bedroom sharing thoughts out of her head and making her way to the kitchen. She briefly thought of sleeping in Johanna's room while Mr. Todd took hers, but in the end she decided against it, reckoning that she could handle one night on the sofa.

"It's late, love, we should be heading to bed." She said upon entering the kitchen. "You can take my room tonight, and I promise we'll have the room over the shop ready for you by tomorrow."

As usual, she was met with silence.

"Is that alright with you, love?" She prompted.

"I'm not tired." He replied.

Nellie sighed. It was the same answer as before. Not hungry, not tired, all he had done since she had given him those bloody razors was stare at them, fiddle with them, and it was beginning to irritate her. She glanced over to where she had left his supper before; it was still there, untouched.

"Well, then. I suppose I can't make you sleep, now can I?" She mumbled, more to herself than to him. Once again, she wished he wouldn't be so difficult. Nellie sighed again.

"Alright, dearie, you do what you like, then. If you do get tired," – she doubted he would sleep even if was, though – "You can sleep on the sofa in the parlor."

She wished he would give at least some acknowledgement that he heard her, she felt somewhat uncomfortable speaking to him when he gave no answer. _Like talking to a wall,_ She noted.

"I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, love."

She smiled at him, which of course went by unnoticed, and headed out of the kitchen, through the parlor, and into her bedroom. She changed into her nightdress and sighed when she looked into the mirror. She always looked worn out in the evening, but tonight she looked especially exhausted. Her hair was even wilder than usual, and the dark circles around her eyes seemed more prominent. Sighing for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Nellie pulled the pins out of her hair and ran her hairbrush through the tangles only a few times. It was useless anyway; she hadn't brushed her hair properly in years.

Nellie got into bed and blew out the candle. Pulling the covers around herself, she let her mind wander back to Mr. Todd. She did pity him in a way; after all, he was expecting to come home to a loving wife and child, but instead he got a madwoman and a missing daughter. Not to mention learning that the reason his wife is mad is because she tried to take her life after being raped by Judge Turpin. No, that wouldn't be easy on anyone. And to make matters even worse, his wife went into a panic each time she saw him.

Nellie grimaced. She didn't like to think of Lucy as Mr. Todd's wife. Lucy seemed too childlike to be a wife to anybody. In fact, she was hardly a proper mother to Johanna; Nellie was the one who had done all the mothering these past fifteen years.

But either way, it couldn't be easy for Mr. Todd. The only good thing that happened, she realized, was that he got his razors back. She cursed herself for giving them back to him so soon. She would have liked to sit down and have a proper conversation with him, perhaps over tea, but now with his mind on those razors all the time, that was very unlikely to happen

With a final sigh, Nellie turned on to her side, and it wasn't long before she fell asleep, dreaming of Mr. Todd and how nice it would be if he actually paid attention to her.

--

_Let me know what you think. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_I am so, so sorry for the late update! I really thought I would be able to get this chapter done quickly. _

_This chapter is a lot longer than the other ones, so I hope that makes up for not updating sooner. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you all like it as well._

_Again, thanks to those who reviewed/alerted/favorited. I just found the review reply button, so I'm sorry that I have not been replying to your reviews until now. _

_Enjoy the chapter, and once again, I apologize for the long wait. _

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

Nellie awoke the next morning full of energy and ready to start the day. It would be a rather busy day today, it seemed. She reckoned it would take most of the day to clean out the room over the shop, so she would not be opening the pie shop until the evening, unless it took longer than she expected to clean up. Nellie hoped it wouldn't; she couldn't afford an entire day without business. And besides, she had already planned to tell the customers that would come in the evening about Mr. Todd's new barbershop.

_Might as well start the business early, _She figured.

Nellie got out of bed and dressed, struggling with her corset. She hated wearing the thing, and she envied Lucy for not wearing one. Years ago, she had tried to get Lucy into a corset, but the woman had fidgeted so much that Nellie could barely get it on. And once she finally did, Lucy had begun to claw at the laces, desperately trying to get the corset off. She had started to scream and cry, so Nellie finally took it off and never made Lucy wear one again.

Finally getting all the laces done up, Nellie put on her most comfortable dress, the one that would allow her to move easily. It was the dress she always wore when there was cleaning to be done.

Nellie was pinning up her hair when the door burst open and Lucy came bouncing in happily, still in her nightdress, ready for whatever adventures the day had to bring.

"Good morning, Nellie!" She exclaimed.

"Morning, Lucy." Nellie replied, smiling; Lucy's cheery attitude would certainly make the cleaning more enjoyable.

"Are we cleaning today?" Lucy asked, recognizing Nellie's work dress.

"Yes, love, we are." Nellie finished pinning up her hair and turned to Lucy. "Now, let's get you dressed, hm?"

Lucy nodded and headed back to her bedroom with Nellie following. She opened her wardrobe and picked out a bright blue dress.

"I want this one." She said.

"No, Lucy, you have to wear your work dress today." Nellie told her gently. She walked to the wardrobe and picked out a cream-colored dress, the one that was rather old.

"This one." She held it out to show Lucy.

"I like that one too." Lucy stated matter-of-factly.

She stood still as Nellie dressed her, and began humming as Nellie brushed out her hair.

"I want to wear my hair up like yours today." She said.

"I'll try my best." Nellie told her, knowing that the only reason her hair looked the way it did was because it was so unruly and pinning it up was the only thing she could really do with it. She did her best to pin Lucy's hair up like hers, but it never seemed to look quite right. In the end, she simply tied her hair up with a ribbon.

Lucy didn't even notice that her hair did not look like Nellie's as she spun in front of the mirror, taking in her appearance.

"Right, then, time for breakfast." Nellie said when Lucy had finished admiring herself.

"Toast again!" Lucy yelled.

"Alright, Lucy, come along."

They both made their way into the kitchen, Nellie having completely forgotten that Mr. Todd was there.

Lucy had stepped into the kitchen a just one moment before Nellie, and upon seeing Mr. Todd, she froze right in the doorway.

Nellie was about to scold her for stopping so suddenly, when she remembered who she had left in the kitchen last night.

_Oh, bloody hell! _She thought, angry at herself for forgetting. Surely this would cause some very unwanted conflict.

Mr. Todd had noticed Lucy, having finally torn his gaze away from his razors.

Nellie squeezed passed Lucy into the kitchen and stood directly in front of her, hoping to block Mr. Todd from her view.

"Now Lucy…" She began, only to be interrupted by the terrified woman.

"What's he still doing here?!" The fear in her voice was evident.

"He's going to be living with us, love." Nellie kept her voice calm, hoping to soothe Lucy and prevent her from screaming.

"Him?! That devil is going to live here?!"

"In the room above the shop, Lucy, that's where he'll be staying."

"He's a demon, Nellie, can't you see? He can't live here!" Lucy's voice was desperate now; she truly did fear him. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears, and Nellie knew she had to get Lucy out of the kitchen fast.

She took Lucy's shoulders and turned her around, gently pushing her into the parlor and following her in, her hands still on Lucy's shoulders, guiding her over to the sofa.

"Sit, love."

Lucy sat, but the nervous look on her face did not disappear and she kept glancing back to the kitchen.

"Now, Lucy, you can't go around saying those things about Mr. Todd." Nellie told her gently. "He's going to be living with us now, and you have to try to be kind to him, like you are to me and Johanna."

Nellie paused. She figured it must be Mr. Todd's looks that caused Lucy to be so afraid, so she added, "I know he looks frightening, but he really isn't."

"How do you know?" Lucy asked.

Nellie didn't know for sure, but she had said it to try to reassure Lucy. There was one thing she was certain of though.

"He wont hurt you, Lucy. I know that. Now. There will be no more shouting terrible things about Mr. Todd, do you understand?"

Lucy said nothing, but shot another glance toward the kitchen.

Nellie sighed. "If you can go a whole day without shouting, it'll be a toffee for you."

"Oh!" Lucy brightened immediately. "Yes, no more shouting, I promise."

"Good." Nellie said, smiling. "Now, when we go back to the kitchen, I want you to shake Mr. Todd's hand and say you are pleased to meet him, alright?"

Lucy looked reluctant to agree. Regardless of the toffees she would be getting, Mr. Todd still frightened her and the thought of shaking his hand made her terribly nervous.

"Two toffees, then. Or three." Nellie knew that bribery was not the best way to get Lucy to obey her, but it worked, so she would continue to use it until it didn't work anymore, which was unlikely to happen anyway.

"Alright then." Lucy finally agreed, however reluctantly.

"Good." Nellie stood. "Come now."

She took Lucy's hand and led her back into the kitchen.

"Lucy had something to say to you, Mr. Todd."

Nellie gently pushed Lucy forward. "Go on, love." She said softly.

Lucy took a deep breath. She slowly held out her hand, which Nellie noticed was shaking.

Mr. Todd rose from where he was sitting and walked over to Lucy. He took Lucy's outstretched hand. Lucy let out a small squeal.

"It's…" She gulped. "It's nice…nice to…meet you, Mr. Todd." She stammered.

He gave a small nod. Nellie noticed his eyes, full of hurt. She realized how painful this must be for him, to see his wife so frightened of him.

"It's nice to meet you too, Lucy." He replied.

As soon as he said it, Lucy yanked her hand back.

"There. I did it." She said.

Nellie smiled. "I'm proud of you Lucy." She then looked at Mr. Todd. "If you wouldn't mind going into the parlor, love." She knew Lucy was still afraid of him.

"Of course." He gathered his razors – _Of course, can't forget the bloody razors_, Nellie thought – and disappeared into the parlor.

Lucy let a out a breath.

"I don't like him." She said as Nellie went behind the counter to make their breakfast.

--

_Please let me know what you thought! :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_I am so, so sorry for not updating sooner! I have been very busy these past two weeks and only got around to writing a few days ago. _

_I was going to break this up into a few chapters, but in the end I decided to keep it as one to make up for the really long wait. The point of view switches a few times; I hope this does not confuse anyone (I made it as clear as I could). _

_Thank you to those who reviewed/alerted/favorited. I hope you enjoy this chapter and once again, I apologize for the really long wait. _

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

Lucy ate her breakfast eagerly, as she usually did. She sipped her tea much more slowly than she had the previous evening – but still rather eagerly – and obediently put the dishes into the sink to be washed when she had finished with them.

"Now then." Nellie said upon finishing her own breakfast. "I'll just be getting the keys to that room over the shop, and we'll be off."

Lucy nodded. "I'll get the broom!" she exclaimed, eager to help in any way she could.

Nellie smiled at her before going into the parlor. She was aware that cleaning with Lucy could prove to be disastrous – there had been more than one occasion when Lucy had made a bigger mess than they had when they started – but she simply couldn't let Lucy out of her sight for the entire day.

Upon entering the parlor, the first thing she noticed was that Mr. Todd was not tending to his razors, but admiring a photograph that was on the mantle. Stepping closer, Nellie took a look at the photograph. It was one of her younger self, holding a little girl whose hand was wrapped around the finger of a pretty blonde woman, Lucy to be exact. Each of them was smiling widely.

Nellie smiled. "Johanna was around two years old then," She said pointing to the little girl. "This photograph turned out rather lovely, not like some of the others."

She chuckled softly at the memory while reaching for a box on the mantle. Opening the box, she took out a ring of keys, among them the key to the room over the shop.

"I had a friend a few streets down, he'd take the photographs for us free of charge." She wasn't sure if Mr. Todd was actually listening to her, but went on anyway. "We have albums full of them photographs."

Nellie pulled a few albums off a shelf and placed them on the small table. "I'll leave them here for you, love, if you'd like to take a look. We'll be upstairs cleaning out that room for you."

He gave a small nod, which sent her heart soaring. So he hadbeen listening to her! She smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it, and made to head back to the kitchen. At the last moment she turned back and grabbed her feather duster, lightly touching Mr. Todd's arm as she reached for it.

"Be needing this, too." She said, shaking it lightly. Offering him one last smile, she finally crossed the parlor and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Ready to go, dearie?" Nellie asked Lucy, who was dancing around with the broom.

"Yes, Nellie." She said, but did not stop dancing.

"Alright, then. Careful with that broom." Nellie held the door open for Lucy, ducking out of the way as Lucy passed so that she wouldn't get hit with the broom.

The two women made their way up the steps, Lucy having stopped swinging the broom around. Nellie unlocked the door and opened it, once again holding the door open for Lucy. Stepping inside, Nellie noticed just how dusty it was. Yes, the feather duster had certainly been a good idea. She reckoned it wouldn't take too long to clean; most of the work would be dusting and sweeping. Then again, with Lucy nothing was predictable.

"Right then, Lucy, I suppose we should get started." She said, and the two set to work.

--

Sweeney Todd eyed the photograph albums sitting on the table. _"Albums full of them photographs"_ she had said. He was painfully aware that he had not been there to see his daughter grow up. Perhaps these photographs could shed some light on her childhood. Of course it wouldn't be the same as being there, but it couldn't hurt.

He sat on the sofa and picked up the first album. Opening the album, he looked at the first picture, one of Nellie – Mrs. Lovett to him – holding Johanna. He noticed Johanna's dress, how it was the same one she was wearing in the picture on the mantle. He looked to the next picture, Mrs. Lovett once again holding Johanna, whose little fist was pulling tightly on Mrs. Lovett's hair, as if trying to loosen the pins from it.

The next few pictures seemed to be failed attempts at a decent photograph, some with Johanna crying, others with Lucy pouting or staring off dreamily, and others still with little Johanna pulling on either Mrs. Lovett or Lucy's hair, sometimes both at the same time.

He went through the entire album, stopping to admire each picture, noticing how Johanna got older as he neared the end of the album. They had taken plenty of photographs, as Mrs. Lovett had said. He guessed Johanna was around three or four in the last photograph, which showed her running happily into Lucy's arms, Mrs. Lovett standing a few feet away, smiling at the two of them. He wondered if the photograph was intentional, or if the photographer had caught it by chance.

He put the album down and reached for the next one. Once again he went through the entire album, stopping at each picture, looking at his wife and daughter, wondering what it would have been like had he been there.

It was the Judge's fault, him not being there to watch his daughter grow, to protect his Lucy. Surely he could have saved her from poisoning herself; the Judge wouldn't have raped her had he been there to protect her, and she would have felt no need to take the arsenic. And he was certain Johanna would not be running away, she would feel no need to escape from her mother. Yes, it was all that bloody Judge Turpin's fault, he had ruined Mr. Todd's life, destroyed his family. He was the reason Lucy poisoned herself, the reason Johanna ran away, he was the reason for everything vile in Mr. Todd's life.

He would have his revenge. He wouldn't rest until he made the Judge pay for what he did to his family, until Judge Turpin was dead by his hand.

Yes, he would kill him, that would be the sweetest revenge, the most fitting punishment for the man who destroyed his family.

--

Nellie and Lucy made their downstairs, having finished cleaning out the room. It was spotless now, with the surfaces dusted and the floors swept. A few hours into their cleaning, Nellie had gone downstairs to get a bucket of water to clean the windows. She had peeked into the parlor to see what Mr. Todd was doing, finding him immersed in one of the photo albums she had left out. She had been glad that he was interested in something besides his razors.

Now, with the windows washed as well, the room was as neat as it had been fifteen years ago. All that was needed now was a chair for Mr. Todd's customers, and Nellie had decided to use Albert's old chair, which she was now glad she kept.

"Thirsty, Lucy?" She asked, pouring herself a glass of water.

"Yes, Nellie. And hungry too." Lucy replied.

Nellie handed her a glass of water and took a sip of her own.

"I'll make supper for us, then."

"A fruit pie, Nellie! I want a fruit pie with strawberry filling, like the ones you sometimes make for us!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes sparkling at the thought of one of Nellie's fruit pies.

Speaking of pie reminded Nellie of the shop, how she still had to make pies for the customers that would be coming later. Of course, she didn't _have _to; it was her shop after all and even though she had previously thought that she couldn't lose an entire day of business, she was feeling too exhausted to make a few batches of pies, let alone serve them.

"Alright, then. It's fruit pies for us tonight."

Lucy screamed in delight and started bouncing around everywhere, singing about pies and how she wanted to help make them.

Nellie laughed at Lucy's silliness.

"Of course you can help make the pies, love." She said. "Come now."

Lucy scuttled behind the counter and rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work. Nellie gathered the ingredients they would need, setting them on the counter one by one. When she went to get the strawberries, however, she saw that they didn't have any left.

_We'll just have to make do with strawberry jam, then._ She thought, and took the jar of jam instead.

Lucy didn't seem to notice that strawberry jam was being used instead of actual strawberries. She eagerly awaited Nellie's instructions, humming to herself, just like she had been when she and Nellie had been cleaning the room upstairs.

The two set abut making the pies, Lucy following the directions carefully, so as not to ruin the fruit pies she so craved. They made six pies in total, and put them into the oven when they were finished.

Nellie set about cleaning up the mess they had made, and instructed Lucy to wash the dishes that were in the sink.

"Yes, Nellie, right away!" Lucy obediently set about washing the dishes. Nellie noticed that she was being especially obedient that day and couldn't help wondering if it had anything to do with Mr. Todd.

The pies finished just as Nellie and Lucy finished cleaning. Nellie took them out of the oven, making sure to use a cloth so as not to burn her hands. She set the tray of pies on the counter, and Lucy immediately reached for one.

"Not yet, love." She stopped Lucy. "Must wait till they cool down."

Lucy grumbled – she wanted her pie _now_ – but nodded and stared at the pies, waiting for them to cool. Finally, after a nod from Nellie indicating that she could take a pie, Lucy reached for the biggest one and bit into it eagerly. She chewed the delicious pastry with delight. How she loved Nellie's fruit pies!

While Lucy ate, Nellie decided to check on Mr. Todd in the parlor. She quickly told Lucy where she would be going, and disappeared behind the curtain.

She found Mr. Todd immersed in a photo album, just like he had been when she last looked in on him.

"Everything alright, love?" She asked, coming up behind him and lightly putting her hands on his shoulders. He tensed under her touch, but she didn't take her hands away. Nellie looked over his shoulder at the photo album. The photograph he was looking at was one of Johanna, taken a few years before.

Mr. Todd spoke, startling Nellie, even though his voice was barely above a whisper.

"How old was she here?"

"'Round fourteen years old." She answered. "It was a few weeks before she…" She paused. She really didn't want to remind him that his daughter was missing, but there really wasn't any other way to go about it. Nellie took a deep breath.

"Before she first…_left_." She finished.

"How often does she leave?" He asked, surprising Nellie one more.

"Every few months or so. I don't keep track, really. She's left maybe four or five times now. Gone a week or two, three at the most, always comes back." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "She'll be home soon, love. You needn't worry about her. You'll see your girl again, I promise."

Nellie walked around the sofa and sat down next to Mr. Todd. She felt a need to comfort him, to pull him close and tell him everything would be alright, but was afraid of pushing her boundaries. She kept her hands in her lap.

"The room's ready for you." She said, changing the subject. "Just have to get a chair up there, and then you can start your business. Ain't that exciting, love?"

He only grunted in response, and she knew that she had lost his attention. She glanced at the clock and noticed it was getting late; she hadn't realized how long the cleaning had taken. She reckoned it was too late to open the shop even if she wanted to, figuring that any customers that had come by had noticed that the shop was closed and had left.

She realized that she should be getting Lucy to bed as well, and perhaps get a head start on the pies for the next day.

After a few more moments of silence, Nellie finally stood.

"Well, I suppose I best be getting Lucy to bed. You should be going too, love, you can sleep up in your new shop tonight."

Once again, she received no answer. She sighed and left the parlor, just in time to see Lucy reaching for another pie.

"One's enough for today, dearie." She gently scolded Lucy, who immediately withdrew her hand.

"They're very good, Nellie." Lucy said sheepishly. "I only wanted to have another because they're so good."

"You can have one tomorrow, but right now, it's time for bed." Nellie explained.

"Yes, bed." Lucy repeated. "I'm very tired."

"Come along, then." Nellie led Lucy to her bedroom, being careful to keep Lucy turned so that she would not notice Mr. Todd in the parlor. She saw that Mr. Todd had looked up when they entered the parlor, and noticed how his eyes followed Lucy across the room. She felt her heart ache for him; nothing seemed to be going to his way.

Nellie helped Lucy into her nightdress, tucked her into bed, and lit the candle, just as she did each night.

"Nellie?" Lucy's sleepy voice stopped Nellie just as she was about to leave the room.

"Yes, love?"

"Don't I get toffees for being good today?"

Nellie had completely forgotten about the toffees. She now remembered that she didn't have any more toffees; she had given the last few to Lucy the day before.

"Yes, darling, we'll go to the market and buy some tomorrow."

"Alright then." Lucy yawned and turned over onto her side.

"Night, love." Nellie said softly, hearing a muffled "Mmhmm" from Lucy before closing the door.

Nellie realized how tired she was herself, but before she could head to bed, she had to get some clean sheets and blankets for Mr. Todd's bed upstairs. She retrieved them, and headed back to the parlor.

"How about I show you your new shop, hmm love?" She said to Mr. Todd.

He gave a small nod and put the photo album he was holding back on the table with the others. He stood and picked up the box of razors which had been sitting on the table near the photo albums.

Nellie smiled at him. "Come along." She led the way up to the room upstairs, although she knew that he was perfectly aware of how to get there himself. She pushed the door open, having left it unlocked, and stepped inside. Mr. Todd followed her in.

Nellie dumped the sheets and blankets on the small bed in the corner.

"Mind you, it don't look the same as it did then, but it'll do, won't it?" She said as she made the bed.

He didn't answer her question, but she hadn't really been expecting him to anyway.

"There." She gave a content sigh when she had finished making the bed. "Try to get some sleep, love, won't you? I'll be downstairs if you need me."

She brushed his arm with her hand as she swept past him and left the room, leaving him alone.

--

Mr. Todd didn't know exactly how much time had passed. He stood staring out the window, thinking, plotting his revenge on the Judge. Every once is a while, he would be taken over by memories of the past, of his Lucy and baby Johanna, of the way things were and the way things could have been. His anger at the Judge grew with each memory.

There wasn't much to look at out the window. He only watched as the lights turned out in shops and houses, including the pie shop downstairs, indicating that Mrs. Lovett had gone to sleep. Fleet Street was dark and gloomy, much like his room – or should it be called a barbershop now? He did not light a candle, being only vaguely aware of the darkness as it was.

He continued to stare out the window, at nothing, until something caught his eye. It was the movement that caught his attention; a cloaked figure with a hood over their head was walking quickly down Fleet Street. He watched as the figure came closer, slowing down as they neared the pie shop, finally stopping in front of it. A hand reached out of the cloak, grabbed the door handle and pulled, only to find it locked. The hand then began to knock on the door, softly at first, then harder, until they were banging on the door loudly.

He wondered who is was. They had a bag slung over their shoulder, adjusting it every so often as they knocked. He briefly thought about going down there and asking the person if they needed help, but decided against it. He continued watching as the person knocked on the door loudly, continuously. Mr. Todd then noticed the person's other hand reaching up towards their hood and pulling it down.

Long, beautiful yellow hair cascaded down the person's back. The person – a young woman – briefly turned her head upwards and brushed some of the hair from her face. That one moment was all Mr. Todd needed to recognize who she was.

_Lucy…_

No, it wasn't Lucy, he thought. It was…

"Johanna, darling!" Mrs. Lovett's voice rang out as she finally opened the door and embraced the girl. "You've finally come home! Are you alright, love?"

"Yes, Nellie, I'm alright. How's mum?" She replied as Mrs. Lovett ushered her inside and closed the door.

Johanna. His daughter. She was home.

* * *

_Reviews are greatly appreciated :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you to all those who reviewed/alerted/favorited! _

_I hope you enjoy this chaper, and hopefully I will have a new one up soon. :)_

**Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine.**

* * *

In the morning, Nellie woke early so that she could make a few batches of pies. She would be taking Lucy to the market later, and reckoned now that Johanna was back, she could mind the shop until they returned. She hoped to make enough pies so that Johanna would not run out while she and Lucy were out.

She was rolling out the dough when Johanna walked into the kitchen, fully dressed and looking alert, despite the early hour.

"Good morning, Nellie!" She said cheerfully, reminding Nellie of Lucy now more than ever.

"Morning, love. You're up awful early." Nellie replied.

Johanna shrugged, but continued to smile.

"I suppose I was too excited to sleep. I'm glad to be home."

"I'm glad to have you home, dearie."

Nellie was about to ask where Johanna had been, but she knew that she wouldn't tell her. She had asked her before, but Johanna had only offered a vague answer, and wouldn't tell her anything else. It made Nellie awfully curious, but she figured that maybe someday Johanna would tell her, especially of she didn't seem too keen to know.

"Do you want some help with those?" Johanna asked, indicating the pies.

"Only if you want to help, darling, I don't want to be troubling you." Nellie answered.

"Oh, I do! I've missed making the pies, to be honest."

Johanna rolled up her sleeves and stepped behind the counter, immediately setting to work.

The two chatted while making the pies, finding much to talk about. Nellie realized how much she had missed talking to someone who could actually respond, and in a mature manner too.

They had just put the pies in the oven when Lucy wandered in, looking somewhat lost, looking around with a confused look on her face. When her eyes fell on Johanna, she let out a delighted shriek.

"Johanna!" She ran over to Johanna and hugged her tightly.

"Hello, mum!" Johanna said, laughing and hugging her mother.

"Nellie, look, Johanna's come home!" Lucy shouted.

"I can see that, love." Nellie replied, laughing as well.

Lucy finally let go of her daughter.

"Oh, Johanna, so much has happened while you were away! Nellie took me to Hyde Park, and I picked some flowers, and we went to the market and I got to pick out new gloves for the winter, and then Nellie promised me toffees each day, and…" Her eyes went wide and she dropped her voice to a whisper. "The devil lives upstairs!"

"The devil, mum?" Johanna said, trying not to laugh.

Lucy nodded.

"Now, Lucy, I told you Mr. Todd is not the devil." Nellie cut in. "And you can't go saying those terrible things about him."

Lucy stayed silent for a moment then turned to Johanna.

"Once you see him, Johanna, you'll agree, he's a demon, I know it! He has wild hair, and his skin his white, like the flour for the pies, and he carries these razors with him, and he looks at them all strange-like –" She was gesturing wildly while she talked, looking more and more mad with each passing second. "– and I've never seen anyone like him before!"

"Now, love, didn't I tell you he only _looks _frightening? Didn't I say he wouldn't hurt you?" Nellie tried to calm Lucy.

"Well, _yes_, you did, but – Johanna! Johanna, when you see him you'll know, you'll see he's a demon, you will!"

"Alright, mum." Johanna said passively, going over to help Nellie take the pies, which had just finished baking, out of the oven.

"Now." Nellie smoothed down her dress. "What do you say I heat up those fruit pies from yesterday for our breakfast?"

"Oh! Yes, Nellie, please do!" Lucy cried, everything she had said about Mr. Todd instantly forgotten.

"Yes, that would be lovely!" Johanna agreed. She loved Nellie's fruit pies almost as much as Lucy.

Nellie retrieved four of the fruit pies from the cold cellar where she had put them the night before and placed them in the oven.

"Johanna, love, mind the oven, won't you? I'll be coming right back."

"Of course, Nellie." She smiled.

Nellie made her way out the door and climbed up the stairs to the barbershop. She lightly knocked on the door before opening it and coming inside without waiting for an answer.

For a moment, she thought that Mr. Todd wasn't in the room, until she noticed him standing by the window.

"Good morning, love!" She said cheerfully. "You won't believe what's happened. Johanna's come home!"

He only nodded. Nellie could hardly believe his reaction. She had been expecting something bigger, after all, his daughter, who he hadn't seen since she was a baby, was home at last. She had thought he would at least smile. But all she got was a simple nod.

_He must've already known._ She suddenly realized. _Her knocking woke him up and he saw her out the window. _

"Well, then." Nellie smiled again. "What do you say you come downstairs and meet your daughter, hm?"

She stretched out her hand and held it out to him. "Come on, love." She said reassuringly.

He turned away from the window and walked toward her. For a moment, Nellie thought he was going to take her hand, but instead, he walked past her. She gave a small sigh and lowered her arm. She supposed she would have been surprised if he had taken it anyway.

Nellie followed close behind Mr. Todd, hoping that this meeting wouldn't end in disaster.

--

_Reviews are appreciated! :)_


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